Alfa Anderson, Former Lead Singer of Chic, Passes Away at 78

It now has been announced that Alfa Anderson, the former lead singer of Chic, passed away last week. She was the voice behind global hits like “Good Times” and “Le Freak.”

Anderson’s voice was like a silken ribbon woven through Chic’s tight funk arrangements—a perfect blend of elegance and raw emotion. Her vocal contributions to “Le Freak,” a song later inducted into both the Grammy Hall of Fame and the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress, were more than just singing; they embodied a celebration of life that captured the essence of an entire era.

Her musical journey began on prestigious stages such as Carnegie Hall, where she shone in Cannonball Adderley’s Big Man. However, it was Luther Vandross who introduced her to Chic in 1977. Under the visionary leadership of Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, Anderson evolved from a background singer into one of the defining voices of the legendary disco group.

Anderson’s legacy extends far beyond Chic. Her vocal talent graced the works of artists like Diana Ross, Sister Sledge, and Mick Jagger, while she later forged an impressive solo career. Her debut album, Music From My Heart (2017), proved that her voice remained as powerful as ever, even after four decades in the music industry.

Nile Rodgers, who confirmed the sad news, paid an emotional tribute to his bandmate on Instagram, accompanied by their shared track “At Last I Am Free”—a fitting farewell to a woman who gave music its freedom and passed that freedom on to others. Reflecting on Chic’s timeless appeal, Anderson once remarked: “It’s imbued with a spirit that is all-encompassing and universal.”

Alfa Anderson was 78 years old.